skean

[ skeen, skee-uhn ]

noun

1. a knife or dagger formerly used in Ireland and in the Scottish Highlands.

skean

/ skiːn /

noun

1. a kind of double-edged dagger formerly used in Ireland and Scotland

Word History and Origins

Origin of skean¹

1520–30; < Scots Gaelic sgian or Irish scian

Word History and Origins

Origin of skean¹

from Irish and Scottish Gaelic scian

Example Sentences

He described the defeat as "the night of long skean dhus".

From BBC

Not, however, before poor Reginald was stabbed in the right chest with a skean dhu, the little dagger that kilted Highlanders wear in their right stocking.

From Project Gutenberg

Beside it was a Skean Dhu sheath and a broken Buckfast tonic wine bottle.

From BBC

Last week at 98 he was the oldest Highland chieftain, with tasseled sporran and a jeweled skean dhus dirk in his stocking.

From Time Magazine Archive

Ye'll pe ken there's twa kinds o' pluid in te human body—a red and a plack: te ane comes frae flesh wounds o' te skean dhu, when it's bashfu, and winna gang far ben; and te other follows te plow o' te determined dirk, when it seeks te habitation o' life in te heart itsel.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bayonet
• blade
• sword